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Motorcycle Rally kicks into high gear

STURGIS — After kicking off last night, the 2010 Sturgis South Motorcycle Rally kicks into high gear today with a full day of activities.
The registration tent on Main Street in downtown Sturgis opens at 8 a.m., and many of the vendors will be open today. Rally Board president Donny Hanson said visitors coming to Sturgis today and Saturday will see lots of motorcycles and encouraged them to introduce themselves and talk with the bikers.”
“There will be lots of expensive motorcycles and owners just like you and me. There are some hard-core bikers you will see in Sturgis and you might think they are on the run from something or somebody... but just introduce yourself to them, and welcome them to the area, and you just might see that this biker could be your attorney, your pastor, your grocery store manager or even your next door neighbor,” Hanson said.
When coming to Sturgis, traffic will be heavy upon entering the town limits, Hanson said. The best places to park are on “one of the side roads off Highway 12,” he said.
“The Highway 12 (Main Street of Sturgis) is reserved for motorcycle parking only during the Rally. The traffic gets so congested in town during the Rally from bikes alone, then you add the cars and trucks in the mix and the bikes start to overheat,” Hanson said.
“I suggest that people coming for a short time, try to go around town and get on the Maben-Sturgis road and find a place to park down by the school or some where along the side of the road outside the city limits. I know it is a long walk to the park, but the sights you can see along the walk are incredible. The bikers are proud of their rides and it shows with every bike you see. Each one has its own look,” he added.
Starkville residents should also be reminded of today’s Rally Friends Dinner Ride, which will leave Sturgis at 4 p.m. and hit the Starkville limits around 4:15 or 4:20 p.m.
The Dinner Ride will proceed through Starkville on the eastbound lanes of Highway 12, which will be shut down by police officers until all bikers pass through the city. The Dinner Ride will proceed from Highway 12 to Highway 182 and then make its first stop at Village Cycle Center in Clayton Village.
The Dinner Ride will continue to Louisville, Ackerman and back to Sturgis.
Starkville residents wanting to watch the Dinner Ride are encouraged to gather at parking lots along the south side of Highway 12 for the best and safest view, police officials said.
Here is the official schedule of Rally events for today and Saturday:
Friday
• 8 a.m. — Registration, Rally and City Park open.
• 3:30 p.m. — Line up begins for Dinner Ride, Main Street, downtown Sturgis.
• 4 p.m. — Registered Rally Friends Dinner Ride.
• 7:30 p.m. — Program and announcements, City Park.
• 8 p.m. — Concert by Trademark, City Park.
• 10:30 p.m. — Concert by Brian Howe (Bad Company), City Park.
• Midnight — Lights Out.
Saturday
• 8 a.m. — Registration, Rally and City Park open.
• 9 a.m. — Poker Run (registration site to be determined), with last bike out at 10:30 a.m. and last bike in at noon, with prizes at 1:30 p.m.
• 9 a.m. — People’s Choice Bike Show, City Park.
• Noon — Bike Show concludes, prizes given.
• 1:30 p.m. — Bike Games, City Park.
• 5:30 p.m. — Program and announcements, City Park.
• p.m. — Concert by Willy Waggs, City Park.
• 8 p.m. — Concert by Crossin Dixon, City Park.
• 10:30 p.m. — Concert by Diamond Rio, City Park.
• Midnight — Lights Out.
For more information, visit the Rally website at http://www.sturgismsrally.com.